(Photo above: (L-R) Mal and Jane Murphy & Susan Inman)
It is hard to pay sufficient tribute to the more than 200 volunteers that make the Sunriver Music Festival a classical music tradition in Central Oregon. But each year the Festival selects volunteers to recognize their extra time, effort and passion.
For the 40th Anniversary Season that just concluded, Mal Murphy was named the Volunteer of the Year. The Executive Director’s Award was given to Susan Evans Inman.
Volunteer of Year Mal Murphy joined the Festival’s Board in 2012. He served as Board Secretary in 2013 and as Board President for four years. He is chair of the Swings fore Strings annual golf tournament every year, and serves on the Endowment Fund Committee.
Mal also served as a host family for featured piano soloist Sean Chen and his wife Betty, who performed in the orchestra. He remains active in the Central Oregon community having served on the boards of the Bend Golf and Country Club and the Sunriver Anglers.
Susan Evans Inman, awarded the Executive Director’s Award, which is given a volunteer that has assisted in financially impacting the Festival in new and creative ways, joined the Board in 2011. Since then, she has been a backbone to the Festival’s fundraising efforts. She has served on the Festival Faire Committee and has been a musician host family for many years. Susan is also involved in the theater community and is active in the Sunriver Stars and Cascades Theatrical Company.
As for innovative fundraising, Susan is the host of the Inman Ranch Party, an annual fundraiser that includes dinner and music on her alpaca ranch. She also created a new event, The Saga of Susan’s Sourdough, where guests were treated to a delicious sourdough pancake brunch and an educational talk on “how to make a sourdough starter” using Susan’s starter from 1966.
The Sunriver Music Festival has over 200 volunteers that assist with a variety of tasks ranging from office work to housing musicians to organizing fundraisers. The Festival can present quality concerts and support youth music education because of the dedication of these valued volunteers.
sunrivermusic.org, 541-593-1084